Across American agriculture, November 1 has repeatedly marked turning points in how farmers manage risk, how households afford food, and how the broader food system prepares for winter. From the birth of national weather forecasting to shifts in nutrition assistance, the date has been a quiet but consequential waypoint in rural and food policy history.
1870: National weather forecasting takes root
On November 1, 1870, the U.S. Army Signal Service began operating a coordinated national weather observation and warning service—an origin point widely recognized as the birth of today’s National Weather Service. At set times that day, observers in two dozen cities telegraphed simultaneous readings of temperature, pressure, wind, and precipitation to Washington, D.C., enabling the first synoptic maps and routine public warnings.
For agriculture—then as now—timely weather intelligence is the difference between profit and loss. The ability to see storms forming across the Plains, track early freezes through the Midwest, and anticipate planting or harvest windows transformed farm decision-making. Over the decades, that first telegraph-enabled network evolved into satellite and radar-backed forecasting that informs everything from irrigation scheduling and fungicide timing to grain drying and cattle management. In an era of more frequent extremes, the system that opened its doors on this date continues to be one of the sector’s most valuable risk-management tools.
Further reading: NOAA/NWS history overview
2013: SNAP benefit reduction reshapes food budgets
November 1, 2013 marked the end of the temporary benefit boost enacted during the Great Recession for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With the expiration of the 2009 Recovery Act increase, SNAP benefits were reduced across the board, trimming roughly $5 billion from the program over the following year. For a typical household, that translated to about $9 less per person per month, or around $36 for a family of four—real money in tight food budgets.
Although SNAP is an anti-hunger program, its effects ripple back to agriculture. Benefits are redeemed at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other retailers that carry U.S. farm products; changes in purchasing power influence product mix, retail promotions, and volume—especially for staples like milk, bread, eggs, produce, and meat. The 2013 reduction also arrived amid a gap between farm bill authorizations, underscoring how budget timing and policy expirations can spill into the food economy just as the harvest season winds down.
Further reading: CBPP: SNAP benefits cut for all participants in November 2013
Seasonal pulse: What November 1 typically looks like on the farm
Even when a given year lacks headline policy moves, the date lands squarely in a pivotal stretch of the production calendar:
- Harvest sprint: By early November, USDA Crop Progress reports often show corn harvest around three-quarters complete nationally and soybeans nearing the finish line, weather permitting. That compresses logistics—elevators manage space, dryers run long hours, and basis moves reflect local bottlenecks.
- Winter wheat: Planting is wrapping up across much of the Southern Plains and Midwest. In many Great Plains counties, November 1 marks the start of the late-planting period for crop insurance, influencing seed decisions, seeding rates, and input risk for the season ahead.
- Beets and cane: The Upper Midwest sugar beet “campaign” is typically in full swing, while the cane harvest progresses in Louisiana and Florida—an illustration of how U.S. agriculture straddles hard frosts and subtropical humidity on the same day.
- Livestock transitions: Calf-weaning sales crest, winter feeding programs ramp up in northern states, and stock water and shelter plans are finalized ahead of first deep freezes.
Data source: USDA NASS Crop Progress historical reports
Cultural and market markers
- World Vegan Day: Observed annually on November 1 since 1994, it has become a touchpoint for retailers and brands to spotlight plant-based offerings. For U.S. producers, that has meant new demand channels for pulses, specialty oilseeds, oats, and horticultural crops, alongside ongoing debates over standards of identity and labeling.
Why this date still resonates
November 1 sits at the intersection of field realities and policy calendars. It’s a day when weather risk, logistics, and budgets converge—an apt moment to remember how a 19th-century leap in forecasting and a 21st-century shift in nutrition benefits both reshaped the food system. As climate variability tests field plans and farm bill debates cycle back to the fore, the lessons etched into this date—anticipate, adapt, and manage risk early—remain as relevant as ever.